Before Google’s acquisition, Nest Labs was soaring to success with its revolutionary thermostats and smoke detectors. These once-simple home devices were being transformed with smart technology, internet connectivity, and efficiency improvements, marking the dawn of a modernization era.
In January 2014, Google acquired Nest Labs for an impressive $3.2 billion, an event that marked the beginning of the decline for the Nest brand. Google has a notorious reputation in the tech industry for discontinuing products, services, and hardware, a fact so well-documented that there exists a dedicated website tracking the numerous Google projects that have been terminated.
As an enthusiast of Nest’s original vision, I embraced Google’s hardware ecosystem starting with the Nest Thermostat. It was sleek, intelligent, and seamlessly integrated with other Nest (now Google) products. Six years later, I continue to use and appreciate that product.
My journey with Nest further expanded when I lived in an apartment, where I added the then-new Nest Secure alarm system. It was, by far, the best alarm system on the market, offering an unparalleled combination of affordability, comprehensive features, and user-friendly design.
However, in 2017, Google faced a public relations issue with Nest Secure due to a hidden microphone in the device, which had not been disclosed to users.
Despite the controversy, the Nest Secure system was notable for its voice prompts, gentle alarm tones, countdown silence, backup battery, Wi-Fi/Cellular connectivity, motion sensor, NFC keytags for codeless arm/disarm, and integration with other Google devices.
It’s door/window sensors quadrupled as an open/close sensor, room motion sensor, nightlight, and had a button for soft-opening doors/windows.
The ecosystem was bliss and harmonious; everything worked together seamlessly and without the need for subscriptions unless one opted for professional monitoring. This was meant to be a lasting solution, until Google announced in April 2023 that the Nest Secure system would cease to function entirely by April 8, 2024.
Google’s decision will render all Nest Secure devices fully obsolete. Nest Secure will never again communicate to the Internet; meaning users will never receive mobile notifications, can never change settings, move sensors, nothing. Nest Secure dies on April 8th, 2024, forever.
For a company who “attempts” to be committed to sustainability, it’s alarming at how fast they are okay with creating thousands of millions of e-waste devices. It goes to show you that Google doesn’t care about sustainability even in the slightest.
Google offered two options to Nest Secure users: a new alarm system from ADT with a year of professional monitoring, or a $200 credit to the Google Store. As a user of Google Nest Cameras and now in need of an alarm system, I chose the ADT alarm system.
ADT, a well-established name in home security, has shifted to offering services using hardware from other companies, including Google. The transition to ADT was swift, but the experience was beyond disappointing.
The ADT customer support was unhelpful, unwilling, and the ADT+ mobile app was frustrating to use, leading to multiple instances of malfunction and lack of notification.
The ADT-provided hardware was subpar at-best compared to Nest Secure. When a user would enter the PIN on the ADT Smart Hub, the buttons would lag behind the user’s input. Often, this would cause the last digit to not be accepted.
To any user unfamiliar with the device, this caused panicking confusion with the alarm continuing to “countdown” and users would then attempt to re-enter the known PIN into the alarm without realizing that they are essentially “appending” new digits to the previously particularly entered PIN. Leaving users in a loop with no clear way of how to disarm.
It was and is an absolute mess of a device with constant non-intuitive functions. The alarm doesn’t even bother to use different audio tones for different actions. Counting down, arming, disarming, PIN code, all uses the same “ding” tone.
Further complications were shown early on in my tenure with the device when I went on a walk and received a call from a family member with a worried tone asking if I was okay. Completely unaware to me, my ADT alarm was blaring way at my house.
The ADT+ app never notified me, my “professional” monitoring never called me, but rather sent a single text to my emergency contact.
Beyond the half-baked hardware, the software was simply worse. The application notifications were terrible, the navigation of menus never made sense, and none of the Google integrations ever worked. Including the Google Home.
This experience was a stark departure from the Nest ecosystem and highlighted the drawbacks of forced transitions to inferior products.
Earlier this week, I called ADT to cancel my free professional monitoring. After two phone calls and a few hours of touch-tone menu redirects and representative redirects, a representative rudely assisted me and cancelled the service.
The loathing part of my entire conversations with the ADT representatives was that they informed me that ADT will never delete my data. How ironic for a “security” company to keep customer PII data for the end of time for the inevitable data hack. When I attempt to delete the data myself in the ADT+ app, I receive a generic error message.
If you too are angry at how Google was so ready to create e-waste with Nest Secure and its accessories, get ready to add fuel to that fire knowing that ADT also permanently disables my ADT+ Smart Hub after my cancelled subscription. Creating, yet even more e-waste. I can’t sell the device or even give it away for free.
The big question to ask here is “Why did Google kill Nest Secure”? It’s obvious to users of the devices that Google wants to kill off the original Nest mobile app. They’ve transitioned the Nest Thermostat and Doorbell to the Home app, but, for whatever reason, didn’t want to bring Nest Secure along. I suspect that the reason the original Nest Thermostat and Doorbell haven’t been killed off yet is simply due to the larger number of owners and users compared to the smaller Nest Secure crowd.
In October 2023, The Verge revealed that ADT and Google planned to release a new alarm system similar to Nest Secure, further frustrating everyone who had been pushed to ADT’s substandard offerings.
I can almost guarantee you that this new ADT/Google alarm system will be placed behind a mandatory subscription model.
This experience is not merely a rant, but a stark warning about the impermanence of subscription/cloud-based devices and the potential disregard of companies like Google for user experience and environmental impact.
Those on the Subreddit /r/Nest will be all too familiar with Google’s latest Nest Aware subscription increases and some countries seeing a doubling increase in cost. While the US hasn’t seen a price increase yet, I would imagine it’s coming.
It’s time to consider going back to local-operated devices that don’t have required internet/cloud dependability to ensure the money we spend on security will continue to work for many years to come. I’m worried now that my Google Cameras will soon also spike in price.
I have since moved to Eufy’s Alarm system as it’s a “local” subscription-free device. Additionally, it provides a new “local” ecosystem to move to if Google simply pushes me away for good. Expect a detailed review to follow, signaling my ongoing quest for a reliable and user-friendly home security solution.
© 2023 Justin Vendette
